Ice Box Challenge Vancouver

ICEBOX CHALLENGE - CITY OF VANCOUVER

PASSIVE HOUSE COMPETITION

Olympic Village Square, Vancouver, B.C. - 2017

In June 2017 we entered the City of Vancouver / Passive House Canada sponsored "Ice Box Challenge". The competition called for a design that reflected the Vancouver vernacular of housing design. Without a strong housing identity in Vancouver, we decided instead to concentrate on what we see when looking out of the city, what surrounds us.

Ultimately our buildings all try to capture the view. Vancouver is fortunate to be surrounded by the oceans and mountains. Our design seeks to capture one such view, and present it in abstract form. The “Lions”or “Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn”, which translates as “Twin Sisters” are unique to Vancouver and easily recognisable from much of Greater Vancouver.

This easily recognisable Vancouver landmark, with its snow, that almost year-round tops these peaks, informed our Ice Box. The white painted plywood, and their faceted forms, works to deflect and reflect light away from them.

We were delighted to find out that our competition had won! It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks producing construction drawings and overseeing the construction of the structures. A website has been created, along with the hashtag #iceboxchallenge, and Mayor Gregor Robertson will be officially opening the installation on the 27th July.